This invention generally relates to metallic slitting and edge trimming apparatuses and, more particularly, to an apparatus for automatically winding edge trim scrap metallic sheet material.
Slitting and edge trimming of strip sheet metal is accomplished by slitting devices which include pairs of cooperating upper and lower circular cutting knives between which sheet metal is passed. A coiled strip of metallic sheet may be edge trimmed continuously in this fashion to a desired width by passing the strip between two pairs of knives, known as side trimmers, positioned adjacent the lateral edges of the strip. Thus, the sheet is reduced in width by removing continuous ribbons of metal from the longitudinal edges of the sheet.
The ribbons of metal which are removed from the strip sheet come away from the side trimmers either flat or corkscrewed, and sometimes come away from the trimmers in segments if the incoming strip has edge cracks. These edge trimmings, known as scrap, must be removed from the side trimmer work station. The efficient handling and removal of this scrap has become problematic.
A previous method of handling sheet metal scrap is to wind the scrap into a compact ball which is later reclaimed to make strip. The ribbons of scrap are fed into a holding area behind the side trimmer and at the operator's discretion are drug out of the holding area by a rotating mandrel of a scrap baller and compressed into a compact ball with the aid of a heavy ironing roll.
When the scrap ball reaches a predetermined size, the rotation of the scrap baller mandrel is stopped and the operator cuts the incoming strands. This scrap ball is then stripped off the mandrel by a traversing housing and the scrap ball is ejected out of the ballet by an eject device.
When the scrap stream is discontinuous or when the ball is ejected, the operator must carry the scrap strands from the holding area to the scrap baller mandrel for starting a new ball. This method of winding scrap strands is time-consuming because the scrap baller cannot be operated continuously, but rather must be stopped to cut the incoming strands, strip the scrap ball, and feed the strands to start a new ball. Therefore, a need exists for an improved apparatus and method for the winding of metallic scrap strip that eliminates the problems associated with previous scrap handling techniques, eliminates human intervention in the handling process, and provides for an automated system for winding the material.